A Russian finalist in the world sauna championships collapsed and died after
withstanding a temperature of 110 degrees Celsius for six minutes.

Vladimir Ladyzhensky and Timo Kaukonen of Finland, the other finalist, were rushed to hospital after fainting when the competition was cut short and the sauna doors were opened.

Ossi Arvela, the head of the sauna-sitting competition, said in a statement: "The Russian competitor has died in the sauna world championships.”

He added that Kaukonen had been taken from the competition site in Heinola, 86 miles north of Helsinki, to a hospital further south in the larger city of Lahti for treatment.

Kaukonen, last year’s winner, and Ladyzhensky were among the favourites to win the competition in which participants were asked to withstand a temperature 110 degrees Celsius (230 degrees Fahrenheit) for as long as possible.

The event “was halted immediately after the accident", he said, adding: "We are all deeply saddened by this tragic event."